Create with CGCookie in 2018

2018 is upon us, and everyone everywhere is making resolutions to change their life for the better. Whether this is losing weight, eating healthier, making more money or just finding happiness in an area that's lacking, 2018 is a fresh start to accomplish ambitious goals we may have set aside. We here at CG Cookie want to welcome any and all who want to make it their goal to become a skilled digital artist. This includes learning how to illustrate concept art, how to properly model characters in Blender, or developing the next hit game, we're here to help!

Start Off Prepared

We want to ensure that you initiate your learning path feeling prepared to go through the ups and downs of whatever goal you had in mind. Success in any field is never a straight line and knowing that from the beginning can help you feel more at ease when things don't necessarily go your way. People start off the new year with a fire in their chest to achieve grand things. From the CG side that may be wanting to build one new character every day, then over the weeks that turns to one half completed character, then eventually you give up on it entirely.

Other common things people tend to say is that they don't have enough time. We've written on this topic before on how to better prepare your time, and also how to ensure you consistently create something on a regular basis so that you collection of characters don't end up being forgotten a month or two down the line. The article "I don't have time to learn" should keep you on track to keep moving forward. Build a doable plan that is not only simple, but easy to follow. Doing something often, even if it's small, is better than creating something in spurts without much momentum.

Get Inspired

Everyone feels great when they're motivated to work, but putting in the work when you're not motivated is what really counts. Eventually you'll get lost in the woods and start wondering why you're even still working on a project. You've created that human character for the 5th time now and it's starting to grind on you. Maybe you have no idea what you want to create.

In this article, "Our Favorite Resources", we mentioned a number of sites and resources online where we as instructors and CG enthusiasts find inspiration from others. Going to places like Art Station and Pinterest are great - crucial even - for finding inspiration on various art forms. Don't forget the amazing content being created here through our talented members in the Gallery. From the game development side, one of my favorite inspirations is the GDC talks on Youtube.

Understand that motivation can only take you so far and you will eventually need to stay on track. If you're building a game, having a set plan such as the one mentioned in Level Up Your Game Development can help you down the line when you're unsure how to keep going.

Also check out our Member Stories. It can be tough to get inspired by those who seem to be above and beyond our current skillset, but everyone starts from the same place. CGCookie members provide some of the biggest inspirational stories, such as Matthew Fricker, Joaquin Kierbel, and Pierrick Picaut.

Inspiration can come from a number of places. When you're feeling drained or worn out, make sure you visit any place you get inspiration from to recharge those batteries.

Get Focused

You've built a plan, and you're feeling quite inspired and ready to start working, but you also need to focus on what you really want to achieve. Here at CGCookie we teach Concept Art, 3d Modeling and Animation, Game Development and Traditional Clay Sculpting. Within those areas we also have more specific areas such as modeling, sculpting, character animation, generic animation, 3d and 2D games, etc.

If you're looking to get started with Blender, our preferred 3d modeling and animation tool, then you can start with our Introduction to Blender Learning Flow. Our flows are designed to teach you what we believe are the fundamentals of a specific subject. With this flow you'll learn how to use Blender from the ground up. This involves learning modeling, composition, texturing, shading and more.

Each one of our sections has it's own introductory flow for getting started. After that you're free to branch our and focus on an area that you like the most. If you're interested in 3d animation, we have some great courses for you by Wayne Dixon, the latest being Lip Sync Animations.

Maybe you're a bit more experienced and want a full fledged project to tackle, why not try building a Tower Defense Game. This flow is aimed at more intermediate members who want to build a complete tower defense game from the ground up. This includes modeling all the game pieces, props, vehicles and effects. You'll then learn how to properly build a level using those same pieces built in Blender, then finally bring it all together in Unity to Develop a Tower Defense Game.

Lets Get Started!

Take the first step to get started. Whether you're brand new to CG or you're looking to improve your skills, we're here to help. Let us know down in the comments what your digital-art-related New Years Resolutions are!

This is an amazing article! Great way to start this promising year. I used to be a tutorial seeker, I used to set giant targets and I have never met them... Before CGCookie, I have set a goal to develop and publish a short film and every step was covered by specific tutorials... I was working like a computer compiling programming languages... following step by step tutorials and I was not learning anything in the end. Now, I've set a focus, a target, a plan and I'm literally following the flow... no pressure, but with a pace! And now, I'm learning... A great year ahead for all of us!